Agriculture: Subsidies

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely effect on (a) the level of land banking and (b) access to agricultural land by new entrants and tenant farmers of implementing proposed Common Agricultural Policy reforms that the allocation of entitlements to direct payments should be based on a date in the future.

David Heath: There is the potential for distortions to arise whenever future dates are used as part of qualifying criteria. This is one of the reasons why we are seeking the option to rollover existing entitlements. We also consider that there may be specific circumstances where new entrants might be disadvantaged by the Commission's proposals, particularly in the first year of the scheme and we are working to ensure that member states and regions have the flexibility to address them.

Nature Conservation

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what programmes to protect and encourage the breeding of endangered species the Government sponsors.

Richard Benyon: The Species Recovery Programme, operated by Natural England, provides direct support for the most threatened species of animals, plants and fungi in England. This includes targeted action through status assessments, research to identify causes of decline, research to identify appropriate means of recovery, the testing of recovery solutions and re-introductions.
	The Environment Agency makes a significant contribution across England and Wales to the protection of endangered aquatic species (including plants, animals, birds and fish) both through its regulatory role and its positive work in support of environmental improvement. Current breeding projects include the white-clawed crayfish, freshwater pearl mussel and vendace (a freshwater white fish).
	Efforts to conserve endangered fish species and to encourage their breeding typically focus on management measures targeted at wild fish populations and Government supports a range of activities, for example, prohibitions on exploitation, fishery technical measures and habitat improvement schemes. Species subject to such measures to allow stocks to rebuild include the angel shark and European eel.
	The UK Government also provides support through a number of mechanisms for protecting biodiversity overseas—including through the Darwin Initiative, which has been funding projects around the world for the last 20 years. Some projects aim to improve the conservation status of endangered species through breeding programmes or re-introductions. For example, a current project that is re-introducing endangered frogs (called mountain chickens) in Montserrat. The Darwin Initiative also supports several projects which are involved in the captive breeding of vultures in India/South Asia. In addition, the Government contributes to various initiatives and organisations that support a range of endangered species, which are assessed on a case by case basis, such as the Global Tiger Initiative, projects associated with the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, and the Great Apes Survival Partnership. DEFRA's biodiversity research programme has a number of projects addressing threats to biodiversity in the UK overseas territories. This includes work to improve breeding success of the critically endangered St Helena wirebird.
	The Royal Botanic Garden Kew's UK Overseas Territories Programme has received funding from DEFRA, Darwin and the Overseas Territories Environment Programme over the last 10 years to help conserve the unique plants of the UK overseas territories, through seed collection, cultivation at Kew, capacity building in territories, helping establish native species nurseries in territories and ultimately restoring habitats and re-introducing threatened species back into the wild. DEFRA also supports the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership led by the Royal. Botanic Gardens, Kew and involving about 50 countries aiming to conserve 75,000 plant species by 2020.

Water Charges: Voluntary Organisations

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to paragraph 4.2 of his Department's guidance to water and sewerage undertakers in relation to the concessionary scheme for community groups for surface water drainage charges, what assessment he has made of the effect of the concessionary scheme for community groups where water and sewerage undertakers have not identified additional classes of community groups; which water and sewerage undertakers have identified additional classes of charities in community group concessionary schemes for surface water drainage to those listed; and whether he plans to review the scheme.

Richard Benyon: The Government's guidance provides criteria to help, undertakers determine which community groups should benefit from concessionary schemes for surface water drainage. It states which groups the Government expects undertakers will want to include but makes clear that this is not an exhaustive list. The guidance also proposes that undertakers should take account of the criteria. It requires undertakers to carry out an Impact Assessment and bring forward any scheme in consultation with customers. Therefore, the decision of which groups to include in a scheme is one for the undertaker, in consultation with their customers.
	Two companies (United Utilities and Northumbrian Water) have brought forward concessionary schemes for charging for surface water drainage within the guidelines set out by the Government. Neither undertaker has identified additional categories of community groups that were not specified in the guidance.
	It is for the companies themselves to assess and review the effectiveness of their schemes, in line with the Government guidance, which was issued in 2010. There are currently no plans to review the guidance, but it will be reviewed in due course as a matter of policy evaluation.

Crime Prevention

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with representatives of Twitter and other social media companies about crime prevention; and if she will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: holding answer 6 September 2012
	The Secretary of State for the Home Department, the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), met with representatives from Twitter following the August 2011 disorder. The Government continues to work closely with representatives from social media, industry and the voluntary sector at the quarterly Board meetings for the UK Council on Child Internet Safety to help protect children online.

Offences Against Children: Internet

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking in response to reports of the use of Twitter by paedophiles; and if she will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: holding answer 6 September 2012
	Social media providers still have more to do to make their services safer environments for children, but all of the major players are engaged with Governments at UK and/or European level and have agreed to adhere to the EU Safer Social Networking Guidelines. Twitter unfortunately have not taken part in these discussions despite being encouraged to do so by UK Government officials earlier this year. We would urge Twitter to rethink their stance.
	Government is working with the industry through the UK Council for Child Internet Safety to agree and put in place better measures to improve children's online safety.

Stalking

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what support she plans to provide to victims of stalking after the implementation of new legislation in this area.

Jeremy Browne: The Government is working with the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Crown Prosecution Service and Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service, to provide guidance and training to better equip agencies so that they can support victims of stalking. We continue to fund the National Stalking Helpline which provides a valuable service to victims.

Stalking

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to enable police to search the property of individuals arrested for suspected stalking, to assist evidence gathering.

Jeremy Browne: The Government wants perpetrators of stalking and harassment to be fully investigated and prosecuted. The new legislation on stalking provides the police with a new power of entry and search to help secure the evidence needed to bring perpetrators of stalking offences to justice.

Solar Power

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he plans to change the level of subsidy for solar photovoltaics in the next two years.

Gregory Barker: DECC issued a consultation document on 7 September inviting comments on proposed changes to the level of support for solar photovoltaic (PV) installations under the renewables obligation. The proposals apply to new generation or additional capacity accredited on or after 1 April 2013. The consultation closes on 19 October and the Government intends to publish its decision by the end of November. A copy of the consultation proposals are available on DECC's website at the following location:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/ro_solarpv/ro_solarpv.aspx
	Solar PV generation is also supported under the feed-in tariff scheme. In July the Government announced a new policy of degression which adjusts the level of support for this technology in line with falling costs of installation. Further details can be found in the Government Response to the consultation on the comprehensive review of the feed-in tariff scheme phase 2A, on solar PV cost control, available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/fits_rev_ph2a/fits_rev_ph2a.aspx

Olympic Games 2012: Swindon

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps she has taken to raise participation in events connected with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Swindon.

Hugh Robertson: The Government and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) established the Nations and Regions Group to ensure UK-wide engagement and to maximise the legacy from London 2012. A sustained programme of proactive marketing and communications activities has generated high levels of interest and engagement in London 2012-related activities across Wiltshire.
	This can be seen through 91% of Swindon schools (77) being registered for the Get Set network. Including Lydiard Park Academy, which has worked with primary schools across Swindon to identify over 100 school ambassadors and leaders of London 2012 themed projects. The academy ran an 'Olympic Roadshow', visiting local primary schools and giving over 2,000 pupils an opportunity to try Olympic and Paralympic sports such as rowing, archery, boccia and goalball. Also, four Wiltshire schools were selected to form the Guard of Honour, lining the route as the athletes made their way through the Olympic Park.
	Around 15,000 people were in Swindon town centre to witness the Olympic Torch Relay visit on 23 May, with several more thousand in surrounding communities. Huge crowds were present at Wharf Green where Didier Drogba ran with the flame.
	A series of business events ran in the years leading up to the games to raise awareness of contract opportunities and ways to bid. This included an event run in partnership with Coca Cola in June 2012 to highlight the opportunities to benefit from the Olympic Torch Relay's visit to Wiltshire, and a business breakfast run by Wiltshire council in Salisbury on the morning of the Olympic Torch Relay's visit to the town. Swindon-based Barnes Coaches Ltd and Thamesdown Transport Ltd were awarded contracts to supply buses and drivers for the Games Family Bus Services in London.
	The Live Site at Swindon's Big Screen, in Wharf Green, attracted thousands to watch the live action (including 1,000 for the Olympic games closing ceremony) and many went on to try out a wide range of sports—up to 200 people on each day took part in various free taster sessions, ranging from basketball to boccia and fencing to table tennis. The Big Screen also screened all the live Paralympics coverage and hosted two super Saturdays, which showcased sporting opportunities for budding Paralympians. This included a new initiative called Run With Me, which encourages runners to form friendships with disabled athletes so they can take part together in events ranging from 5 km races to half-marathons.
	Swindon council's leisure services ran a host of special offers encouraging usage of their facilities and driving up participation. For example, more than 150 people signed up for an offer which gave access to a wide range of activities over a 20-day period for just £12. The Community Games Tour, which ran during the school summer holidays for children, parents and grandparents to play exercise-related games, also engaged with around 200 people per week.
	As part of the UK's bid for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games we promised to inspire a new generation to play sport. Through Places, People, Play, £135 million has already been committed to support community sport facilities and activity. Sports projects in Wiltshire have already been allocated funding through this programme. Also, over the next four years the new Youth Sport Strategy will invest at least £1 billion of Lottery and Exchequer funding to help ensure young people across England are regularly taking part in sport.

Public Expenditure: Merseyside

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much her Department has spent on (a) sport, (b) music, (c) film, (d) museums and galleries and (d) libraries in (i) Liverpool, Walton constituency and (ii) Merseyside since May 2001; and what estimate her Department has made of the level of such spending in each such category in each of the next three years.

Hugh Robertson: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) provides grant in aid funding to public bodies that help deliver our strategic aims and objectives for the arts, media, sport, museums/galleries and libraries. The grant in aid allocated to these bodies since 2001 can be found in the Department's annual reports, and more recently in funding allocation letters, which can be found at the following links:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/about_us/our_annual_report/1052.aspx
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/Annual_Report_and_Accounts_2010_11.pdf
	and
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/publications/9020.aspx
	Music, museums/galleries and libraries
	Arts Council England (ACE) has provided details of funding they have provided for music and visual arts between the financial years 2001-02 and 2011-12 in the Walton constituency and Merseyside. This can be found in the following table. ACE does not classify galleries separately from visual arts, and there was no spending in this period by the Renaissance Museum Programme Funding in these areas.
	In October 2011, ACE took over responsibility for supporting and developing libraries as part of the functions they inherited from the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA). Figures are not held by ACE for spending by the MLA on libraries in this period or this area. They will however provide £6m in grants for the arts funding for libraries between September 2012 and March 2015.
	
		
			 £ 
			  Liverpool, Walton Merseyside 
			 Visual Arts   
			 Total funding since 2001 38,964 22,968,205 
			    
			 Music   
			 Total funding since 2001 231,000 24,594,136 
		
	
	This Department has policy responsibility for public libraries in England, but funding for local public services including public libraries is paid as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement, administered by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). Public library services are delivered by 151 library authorities in England and the amount spent on libraries in each authority is published in the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) Annual Public Library Statistics, copies of which are available in the Libraries of both Houses.
	Sport
	Sport England distributes Exchequer and lottery funding to grassroots sport. Funding from 2001 can be found in the following table.
	
		
			 £ 
			 Grassroots sport Liverpool, Walton Merseyside 
			 Total funding since 2001 719,452 18,263,369 
		
	
	UK Sport is responsible for investing Exchequer and national lottery funds in Britain's best Olympic and Paralympic sports and athletes, this is not region specific.
	Between 2004 and 2010 Exchequer funding was provided by DCMS towards School Sports Partnerships, which the Department for Education (then Department for Children, Schools and Families) distributed to Liverpool and the Merseyside area.
	Film
	Prior to 2011, all public funding to the Merseyside area was handled through the now disbanded Regional Screen Agency (RSA), 'Northwest Vision+Media' (V&M). From 2002, when the V&M was created, to September 2011, V&M delivered approximately £2 million in investment, including lottery awards and spend on services to the film industry, in the Merseyside area. This information is not available by constituency.
	In addition, V&M managed the Liverpool Film and TV fund (MFTVF) through which £2 million investment went to businesses and productions in Liverpool.
	Since the abolition of the RSAs in October 2011 investment via Creative England (CE) has amounted to approximately £3,200, including both lottery awards and investment in services to the North West.
	The Department cannot provide the levels of funding for the next three years for the categories requested by the hon. Member. However, details of the funding DCMS has allocated to its ALB's until 2014-15 can be found in the funding allocation letters at the above link.

Research

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what her policy is on the publication of research and data commissioned by her Department and the bodies for which she is responsible with or without a charge.

Hugh Robertson: With regard to data, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) operates on a “presumption to publish” basis outlined in the Cabinet Office's Open Data White Paper. The DCMS' Open Data Strategy affirms that the Department is committed to making data openly available for re-use (subject to confidentiality and legal constraints). This strategy covers DCMS data only; it does not currently extend to the Department’s arm's length bodies (ALBs) or executive agencies, many of which have leading open data initiatives which use a number of models to share data.
	Statistical data produced by DCMS are published and made available under the standards of the Code of Practice for Official Statistics, which include making statistics available in as much detail as is reliable and practicable, subject to legal and confidentiality constraints. The code also covers the Department's ALBs which publish Official Statistics. The Department's Head of Profession for Statistics is responsible for ensuring ALBs have access to publication guidance and providing advice when needed. Economic and social research is published by the Department under the principles of the Government Social Research Publication Guidance. The first principle states that the products of Government social research will be made publicly available (subject to any ethical and legal constraints). The Department's ALBs are expected to operate under the same principles. ALBs are responsible for the research which they publish and the DCMS Head of Analysis is required to provide advice and guidance when needed.

War Memorials

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the current state of preservation of war memorials.

Edward Vaizey: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) provides funding to ensure war memorials are maintained and conserved to a high standard and to assess what further work is needed to ensure war memorials are kept in a good condition through its own grant scheme and the work of its sponsored bodies English Heritage, the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Imperial War Museum.
	There are an estimated 100,000 war memorials in the UK, of which the majority are in England. English Heritage is exploring with partner organisations how the condition of this very large and significant part of the nation's heritage can be assessed in a practical way. Some progress has already been made by War Memorials Trust and the Smartwater Foundation.
	The Imperial War Museum's War Memorials Archive (formerly UK National Inventory of War Memorials) is working to compile a record of all UK war memorials and the names commemorated on them. This is to promote their appreciation, use and preservation. Further details are available at:
	http://www.ukniwm.org.uk/
	The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) is taking forward the War Memorial Action Group (WMAG). The Membership of the WMAG is comprised of DCMS, funders, heritage organisations and representatives of the local and voluntary sectors. The principal purpose of this group is to review the issues around the recording, understanding, protection and conservation of war memorials and to identify what further work is needed to ensure they are kept in good condition and continue to be a focus for commemoration of those who gave their lives in the service of the country. It has already met and given the wider interest in war memorials, the Group will regularly report on progress in this area.
	Around 1,200 war memorials are listed or scheduled and subject to the protections afforded by those designation regimes. In addition, English Heritage is working in partnership with local authorities, the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and concerned local groups on the Heritage Crime Programme. This programme aims to protect vulnerable buildings and sites, including war memorials, from all threats, particularly metal theft and criminal damage.
	The DCMS Memorial Grant Scheme provides grants towards the VAT paid by charities and faith groups on the construction, repair and maintenance of public memorial structures. The scheme has an annual budget of £0.5 million per year for this spending period.

Apprentices

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many apprentices were employed by (a) his Department and (b) its principal contractors in each of the last five years; and what information his Department holds on the number of apprentices employed by local government in that period.

Brandon Lewis: 21 external and four internal apprentices have been employed in the Department for Communities and Local Government over the last five years. External applicants were a mixture of either already in employment or unemployed. They were contracted to work 36 hours per week and placed on an administrative officer salary of £23,218.
	The Department does not keep a central record of how many individuals have been employed by local government in that period.

Council Tax Benefits

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assumptions his Department has recently employed in forecasting council tax benefit expenditure as part of the process of setting indicative allocations for council tax support; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: Indicative council tax support allocations in 2013-14, published here with methodology:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/2146644
	are based on the forecast subsidised council tax benefit expenditure in England in 2013-14, This is calculated by applying England's share of the 2010-11 subsidised expenditure in Great Britain to the forecast subsidised expenditure in Great Britain in 2013-14, both published by the Department for Work and Pensions here:
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/index.php?page=expenditure
	Each local authority's share of the England total is found by applying the billing authority's share of the 2010-11 subsidised council tax benefit expenditure and then the local authority's share of the area band D council tax bill in 2012-13. An adjustment is made if the local authority's budget pressure is greater than 0.860% or less than 0.176%.
	The forecast of subsidised expenditure in 2013-14 for Great Britain is built on data about past caseloads and expenditure and uses a number of assumptions from the Office for Budgetary Responsibility to estimate the future number of households who would have received the benefit had it continued, and on average how much benefit each household would have received. The data source underlying the forecasts is the Single Housing Benefit Data Extract—a monthly administrative data return from local authorities, the headline figures from which are published here:
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=hbctb
	The forecast is built by estimating the future volumes of a number of subgroups receiving council tax benefit. These subgroups are defined by the other welfare benefits the household receives and assumptions are made around the proportion of each projected benefit population who will also receive council tax benefit. The amount each group receives is uprated using assumptions on future council tax growth published here
	http://budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/wordpress/docs/Council-tax-growth-March-12-EFO.pdf
	alongside estimates of growth in incomes for those on the council tax benefit taper.
	The Department for Work and Pensions intend to publish a document with further details of the forecast methodology and trends by the end of September 2012.

Homelessness

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of homeless people in each (a) local authority area and (b) Parliamentary constituency in each of the last 20 years. [Official Report, 17 September 2012, Vol. 550, c. 3MC.]

Mark Prisk: The Department publishes statistics on homelessness for England. Figures for the other UK countries are a matter for the devolved Administrations. I have placed in the Library of the House, two tables setting out the numbers of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to ensure that suitable accommodation is available) for each local authority area and for each financial year from 1997-98 to 2011-12. One table covers the period 1997-98 to 2008-09 and the other one covers the period following local government restructuring, from 2009-10 to 2011-12. This information has been collected from local authorities on quarterly P1E returns.
	Figures at local authority level for earlier years are not readily available: some may be available from paper returns, but only at disproportionate cost.
	Quarterly figures for recent years are also available from the Department's website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/publicationshomelessness
	The available figures for numbers of people estimated or counted as rough sleepers within each local authority area from 1998 to 2011 are published on the Department's website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/roughsleepingcounts
	Please note that the methodology involved was reviewed and changing during 2010, meaning that figures for 2010 and 2011 are not comparable with those for earlier years.
	The Department does not collect or publish information on the number of homeless people in individual parliamentary constituencies, except for the few cases where a constituency is coterminous with the area of a local authority, which are covered in the answer above.
	Homelessness acceptances remain lower than in 28 of the last 30 years and are still under half the level it reached under the Labour Government (49,000 in 2011 compared with 136,000 in 2003).
	We are investing £3900 million in homelessness prevention over four years 2011-12 to 2014-15). We provided an additional £70 million last year to help local agencies prevent and tackle homelessness.

Housing: Co-operatives

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent steps he has taken to promote more co-operative housing; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: The new neighbourhood planning regime provides an opportunity for housing co-operatives to shape developments in their area. In conjunction with the recently announced support funding for custom-build projects, these proposals should prove an attractive proposition to the co-operative housing sector.
	In a bid to ease the regulatory burdens on co-operatives, the Localism Act 2011 exempted houses in multiple occupation that are controlled or managed by a co-operative society from the houses in multiple occupation licensing regime.
	The Government and the Homes and Communities Agency is currently engaging with the Mutual Housing Group, which includes the Confederation of Co-operative Housing and other community led housing groups, on their proposals for an investment fund to support development in the sector.

Parish Councils

Mark Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consideration he has given to granting the power to initiate a community governance review to the charter trustees of towns, without the need to petition 10 per cent of the town's electorate; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: The Government has no plans to grant the power to initiate a community governance review to the charter trustees of towns, without the need to petition the electorate. However the Department for Communities and Local Government is preparing a consultation on making it easier to set up new town and parish councils, to which representations on this issue may be submitted. We anticipate that the consultation will be published shortly.

Frank Website

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what funding has been allocated to the Frank website for 2012-13; and what his Department has contributed to that allocation.

Anna Soubry: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department of Health.
	The Department of Health funds the Frank website and have allocated £250,000 (exclusive of VAT) this financial year to run and develop the website.

Antidepressants

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have been prescribed anti-depressants in each of the last five years.

Norman Lamb: I refer the hon. Member to the answer the then Minister of State, my right hon. Friend, the Member for Chelmsford (Mr Burns), gave on 11 June 2012, Official Report, columns 118-19W, to the hon. Member for Vale of Clwyd (Chris Ruane).

Health Services: Greater London

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) doctors, (b) nurses and (c) health care assistants were employed by (i) North West London Hospitals NHS Trust, (ii) Hillingdon Hospital and (iii) Charing Cross Hospital on 5 April (A) 2010, (B) 2011 and (C) 2012; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: The numbers of national health service hospital and community health services staff in each specified staff group at North West London Hospitals NHS Trust, Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which includes Charing Cross Hospital, as at 30 September in 2009, 2010 and 2011 are shown in the following table Information for 2012 is not yet available and is due to be published in spring 2013.
	
		
			 Organisation 2009 2010 2011 
			 Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust    
			 Doctors 343 376 388 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 791 810 814 
			 Health care assistants 301 266 290 
			     
			 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust    
			 Doctors 700 746 770 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 1,421 1,622 1,615 
			 Health care assistants 307 300 318 
		
	
	
		
			     
			 Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust    
			 Doctors 1,964 1,704 1,698 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 3,190 3,344 3,370 
			 Health care assistants 357 412 452 
			 Notes: 1. Separate figures for Charing Cross Hospital are not centrally held. Instead, figures are given for Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which includes Charing Cross Hospital. 2. Healthcare assistants are defined as those staff included in the Non-Medical Workforce Census with the H1 occupation code. Other staff who work in support of doctors and nurses include unqualified nursing staff, support workers and clerical and estates staff and are not included here. Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre Medical and Dental Workforce Census and Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census.

Health Services: Young People

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ask the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to expand and prioritise its Quality Standards work programme as it applies to children and young people.

Daniel Poulter: The library of around 180 Quality Standard topics already referred to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) includes a number of topics specific to children and young people, as well as topics that will cover adults, children and young people together. We have asked NICE to give due weight to matters affecting children and young people in developing Quality Standards intended to be relevant to services for people of all ages.
	The independent Children and Young People's Health Outcomes Forum, which reported in July 2012, made several recommendations in relation to what NICE could contribute in order that improved outcomes can be delivered for children and young people. Department of Health officials are liaising with NICE and the NHS Commissioning Board, on the forum's recommendations. The NHS Commissioning Board will be responsible for referring NHS Quality Standard topics to NICE from April 2013.

Health Visitors

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to maintain the number of full-time equivalent qualified health visitors employed in the NHS after the Health Visitor Implementation Programme.

Daniel Poulter: Our commitment is to increase health visitors by 4,200 (from a May 2010 baseline), by April 2015. The Government's four-year transformational programme will develop health visiting services that are universal, energised, and will improve health outcomes for mums and families. The number of full-time equivalent (FTE) health visitors(1) has increased by 339 (4.2%) since May 2010. The total number is now 8,431 (as at 31 May 2012). The number of health visitor trainees has increased markedly, with around 1,600 in training 2011-12.
	The Department of Health is facilitating the spread of good practice and innovation stemming from the health visitor early implementer sites, which are working to deliver the new health visiting service model, thereby helping to lead a step-change and improvement in the way services are provided across the country, which will make a tangible difference to the lives of mums and families looked after by health visitors.
	The NHS Commissioning Board (NHS CB) will take on the responsibility for commissioning health visiting services from April 2013; including implementation of the new service model and workforce growth. By April 2015, the commitment is to transfer the commissioning of these services from the NHS CB to local authorities.
	Through their contribution to joint strategic needs assessments, local authorities develop a range of information enabling them to understand the health needs of individuals and communities. They are therefore, best placed to decide where to employ health visitors so that they effectively support young mothers and families.
	Given the vital role that health visitors play in supporting families, it is anticipated that as part of preparation for this onwards transfer of commissioning responsibility, the NHS CB will want to engage its partner organisations in focusing on maintaining the current drive to increase health visitor numbers, and hence maintain the number of full-time equivalent health visitors employed in the NHS from that point onwards. Availability of relevant information about improvements in outcomes within the Public Health Outcomes Framework(2), would inform activity that demonstrates the case for sustaining the numbers employed.
	(1 )This figure is taken from the health visitor minimum data set, which collects from strategic health authorities the number of health visitors on the electronic staff record (ESR) in addition to those not recorded on ESR.. The total figure provided includes over 200 health visitors not counted by the ESR, (e.g. directly employed by local authorities and social enterprises). The data do not include bank and agency staff.
	(2 “)Improving outcomes and supporting transparency. Part 1: A public health outcomes framework for England, 2013 to 2016”, (published January 2012).

Health Visitors

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent qualified health visitors who had left the profession returned to the profession between April 2010 and April 2012.

Daniel Poulter: The number of health visitors that left the profession and returned to practice is not held centrally for the time period requested.
	We are currently trialling a data collection that may provide this information in the future. The health visitor minimum data set has collected the number of health visitors that returned to practice, but only since July 2012. If the trial proves successful in providing reliable data, we hope to be able to publish from November 2012.
	It is important to note that as part of commitment to increase the number of health visitors, the number of trainees increased from 545 in 2010-11 to 1,606 in 2011-12, an increase of 1,061.

Hepatitis

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that public health commissioners reduce the gap between the number of people being diagnosed with hepatitis C and the number of people that receive treatment for the condition.

Anna Soubry: From 1 April 2013, Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) will have a statutory obligation to arrange for the provision of health services it considers necessary to meet the requirements of those patients for whom they are responsible. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 will require CCGs to act with a view to securing continuous improvement in the quality of services provided to individuals in relation to the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of illness, including hepatitis C.

Hyperactivity: Children

Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to encourage research into the extent of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder amongst children.

Daniel Poulter: The Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the scientific quality of the proposals made.
	The findings of a study of the prevalence of ADHD symptoms in a community sample of. children in the United Kingdom were published in 2010 in the ‘Journal of Attention Disorders’. This research was supported by a grant awarded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

NHS: Internet

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many individuals signed up to receive (a) text messages and (b) emails from the NHS Information Service for Parents website in each month since its launch;
	(2)  how many individuals are signed up to receive (a) text messages and (b) emails from the NHS Information Service for Parents website.

Daniel Poulter: Users of the service can sign-up to receive emails and/or SMS text messages related to the service and their baby. The information service for parents monthly sign-up rate and totals for emails and SMS text is as set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Date Total sign ups Email sign up SMS sign up 
			 May 2012 (from 18 May 2012) 8,219 8,003 216 
			 June 2012 13,755 13,390 365 
			 July 2012 13,330 12,863 467 
			 August 2012 12,875 12,442 433 
			 Totals 48,479 46,678 1,481

NHS: Reorganisation

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health under what circumstances he would intervene in the case of a major configuration of NHS services; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: The reconfiguration of health services is a matter for the local national health service. There should be public consultation and any changes are subject to the four tests namely:
	first, that they have support of general practitioner commissioners;
	second, arrangements for public and patient engagement, including local authorities must be strengthened;
	third, there must be greater clarity about clinical evidence base underpinning any proposals; and
	fourth, any proposals must take into account the need to develop and support patient choice.
	If plans are contested, the Overview and Scrutiny Committees of the relevant local authority can refer these to the Secretary of State for Health. The Independent Reconfiguration Panel considers the objections and advises the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State can then accept or reject advice.

Older People: Day Centres

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will discuss with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government ways to market council-run day centres for the elderly in (a) hospitals and (b) GP surgeries; what the cost to his Department would be of such marketing; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: We currently have no plans to discuss this aspect of integrated working. It is important for older people and their carers that they experience care which is joined-up between the national health service and social care to meet their individual needs. The availability of services to meet the needs of individuals is an issue best addressed locally by Health and Well-being Boards. They provide the forum for local authorities, the NHS and wider partners to come together, understand local needs, and work towards integrating local provision as informed by their Joint Strategic Needs Assessment. The local authority has a duty to inform its population of care services available in its area and can dl so with NHS partners.

Palliative Care

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration he has given to aligning the indicators in the NHS Outcomes Framework and Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework to ensure better integration of health and social care at the end of life.

Norman Lamb: Better integration of health and social care at the end of life was highlighted as a priority in the recent Care and Support White Paper. The Government has already committed to including an indicator in the NHS Outcomes Framework on the quality of end of life care, based on the VOICES survey of bereaved carers.
	There are several shared outcomes between the NHS, Adult Social Care and Public Health, and the frameworks were designed to enable this. However, the extent to which outcomes in these frameworks can be aligned is determined by the availability of indicators and data, and the Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework does not have a corresponding indicator on end of life care.
	However, work continues to identify future areas for inclusion in the Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework.

Armed Forces: Career Development

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people in each of the services were promoted to a higher rank in each year since 1995; and what proportion such people formed of the total number of personnel in their service in each year.

Mark Francois: The information sought is not available prior to 2000. The following tables set out the position since 2000.
	
		
			 Trained UK Regular promotions by service in each financial year as a proportion of the trained strength at the start of each year 
			  Naval Service 
			 Financial year Promotions Strength Promotions (percentage) 
			 2000-01 (1)3,580 38,540 9.3 
			 2001-02 3,000 38,020 7.9 
			 2002-03 3,290 36,770 9.0 
			 2003-04 3,400 36,610 9.3 
			 2004-05 3,550 36,420 9.7 
			 2005-06 3,230 35,500 9.1 
			 2006-07 2,580 34,890 7.4 
			 2007-08 3,530 34,260 10.3 
			 2008-09 3,050 34,520 8.8 
			 2009-10 (2)4,010 (2)34,400 (2)11.7 
			 2010-11 (2)3,090 (2)35,170 (2)8.8 
			 2011-12 (2)2,400 (2)35,250 (2)6.8 
		
	
	
		
			  Army 
			 Financial year Promotions Strength Promotions (percentage) 
			 2000-01 n/a 96,470 n/a 
			 2001-02 n/a 96,280 n/a 
			 2002-03 n/a 96,020 n/a 
			 2003-04 n/a 97,640 n/a 
			 2004-05 n/a 99,420 n/a 
			 2005-06 n/a 98,490 n/a 
			 2006-07 n/a 96,790 n/a 
			 2007-08 14,200 95,060 14.9 
			 2008-09 17,270 93,620 18.4 
			 2009-10 (2)15,640 (2)94,870 (2)16.5 
			 2010-11 (2)13,970 (2)97,980 (2)14.3 
			 2011-12 (2)13,220 (2)97,270 (2)13.6 
		
	
	
		
			  Royal Air Force 
			 Financial year Promotions Strength Promotions (percentage) 
			 2000-01 n/a 50,990 n/a 
			 2001-02 n/a 49,850 n/a 
			 2002-03 n/a 48,880 n/a 
			 2003-04 n/a 48,540 n/a 
			 2004-05 n/a 48,740 n/a 
			 2005-06 n/a 48,850 n/a 
			 2006-07 5,370 46,610 11.5 
			 2007-08 5,080 43,170 11.8 
			 2008-09 5,690 40,040 14.2 
			 2009-10 (2)9,020 (2)39,240 (2)23.0 
			 2010-11 (2)8,350 (2)40,110 (2)20.8 
			 2011-12 (2)5,360 (2)40,070 (2)13.4 
			 (1) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10, except for numbers ending in '5' which are rounded to the nearest 20 in order to avoid systematic bias. (2) DASA is reviewing its administrative data post April 2009 and until this work is complete, data from 1 May 2009 to 1 October 2011 are provisional and subject to review.

Armed Forces: Career Development

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel in each rank in the (a) Army, (b) Royal Air Force and (c) Royal Navy were promoted to a more senior rank in each year since 2000.

Mark Francois: The information available is set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Trained UK regular promotions by service in each financial year 
			 Financial year (a) Naval Service (b) Army (c) Royal Air Force 
			 2000-01 (1)3,580 (2)— (2)— 
			 2001-02 3,000 (2)— (2)— 
			 2002-03 3,290 (2)— (2)— 
			 2003-04 3,400 (2)— (2)— 
			 2004-05 3,550 (2)— (2)— 
			 2005-06 3,230 (2)— (2)— 
			 2006-07 2,580 (2)— 5,370 
			 2007-08 3,530 14,200 5,080 
			 2008-09 3,050 17,270 5,690 
			 2009-10 (3)4,010 (3)15,640 (3)9,020 
			 2010-11 (3)3,090 (3)13,970 (3)8,350 
			 2011-12 (3)2,400 (3)13,220 (3)5,360 
			 Note: Promotions from other ranks to officers are excluded. (1 )Figures are rounded to the nearest 10, except for numbers ending in '5' which are rounded to the nearest 20 in order to avoid systematic bias. (2 )Denotes not available. (3 )DASA is reviewing its administrative data post April 2009 and until this work is complete, data from 1 May 2009 to 1 October 2011 are provisional and subject to review.

HMS Victory

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the ownership status is of monetary items discovered at the site of HMS Victory 1744.

Mark Francois: holding answer 5 September 2012
	The Deed of Gift signed in January 2012 transferred ownership to the Maritime Heritage Foundation of the wreck of HMS Victory 1744 and all that is associated with her in the vicinity of where she is lying, except for personal property not belonging to the Crown.
	An Advisory Group has been established comprising representatives of English Heritage and the National Museum of the Royal Navy and chaired by MOD; DCMS has an observer role. The Group provides advice to both the Foundation and the Secretary of State on the extent to which actions proposed by the Foundation are consistent with archaeological principles set out in Annex A to the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage. Any physical activity undertaken on the site will require the prior consent of the Secretary of State, who would of course be advised by the Advisory Group.

Reserve Forces

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what personal contribution volunteer reservists have been required to make towards travel to their place of duty since April 2011;
	(2)  what changes have been made to travel contributions for volunteer reservists since April 2011.

Mark Francois: holding answer 10 September 2012
	Service personnel, including the volunteer reserve, are in some cases able to claim home to duty travel allowance (HDT). This allowance requires a daily personal contribution to the cost of the journeys to work for which they make a claim. In April 2011 the HDT claim could be made for every mile after the first. Since 1 May 2011, the personal contribution to home to duty travel allowance distance has been increased from one mile to three miles. The volunteer reserve may claim HDT when travelling from home or their normal civilian place of work to attend training.
	In April 2011 the personal contribution ranged from 18p per day to 50p subject to the mode of transport. From 1 May 2011 the contributions increased to range from 53p to £1.50, still based on transport type.
	There were further planned incremental increases to this qualifying distance taking it to six miles from 1 April 2012 and nine miles in 2013. I am pleased to confirm that these measures are no longer deemed necessary, so the three-mile qualifying distance remains extant.

Ulster Defence Regiment

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what level of recognition payments were made to part-time members of the Ulster Defence Regiment; who was eligible for such payments; and whether any other types of recognition payments will be considered.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 10 September 2012
	Part-time members of the Ulster Defence Regiment who transferred over to the Royal Irish Regiment Home Service in 1992 and were in service on 31 August 2006, received an ex-gratia payment which was part of a package intended to recognise the unique circumstances surrounding the disbandment of the home service element of the regiment. The criteria for this payment would not therefore have been applicable to former part-time members of the Ulster Defence Regiment who left prior to that qualifying date.
	Other types of payments, where appropriate, will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Children: Day Care

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure that good quality affordable child care is available for jobseekers.

Steve Webb: Providing help with the cost of and improving access to formal child care continue to be at the forefront of our policies.
	The Government invests around £5 billion each year in early education and child care. Investment in the free early education entitlement is around £2 billion and nearly £2 billion each year goes to help working parents with the cost of child care, mostly through working tax credit. Around £800 million is provided through tax and national insurance relief on child care vouchers, directly contracted child care and workplace nurseries.
	The Government is investing an extra £300 million for child care support under universal credit which will help around 80,000 more families, for the first time supporting parents who work under 16 hours a week.
	While parents are looking for work, they can receive help with child care costs when they attend employment programmes. Additional financial support in the first weeks of starting employment can be available through Childcare Assist and Childcare Subsidy, both part of the Flexible Support Fund.
	On 19 June, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister announced the Childcare Commission which will look at how to make child care more affordable for parents and reduce unnecessary burdens on employers. The Commission will report in the autumn.

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reason employment and support allowance payment to claimants who are in the process of submitting an ESA3 form are terminated until the application has been processed.

Mark Hoban: A limit of 365 days of entitlement to contributory employment and support allowance for claimants other than those in the support group was introduced from 1 May 2012. Any days of entitlement falling before that day are taken into account.
	Those people who have not already been assessed for the income-related element of employment and support allowance are contacted eight weeks before their entitlement to contributory allowance is due to end.
	They are informed of the forthcoming change to their benefit entitlement and asked if they wish to be considered for an income-related allowance. If they do, they are asked to complete form ESA3 which provides us with the necessary information about their financial circumstances to enable their entitlement to be decided before contribution-based employment and support allowance ends.
	If, at the time the claimant has been entitled to a contributory allowance for 365 days, their entitlement to an income-related allowance has not, for whatever reason, been decided, their award of employment and support allowance will necessarily terminate in accordance with the legislation. If it is subsequently decided that the claimant is entitled to the income-related allowance, they will be awarded arrears, as appropriate.
	Claimants who are entitled only to income-related Employment and Support Allowance are not affected by the introduction of the time limit.

Housing Benefit: South East

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much Discretionary Housing Payment funding has been allocated to each local authority in the South East in 2012-13.

Mark Hoban: The following table shows the Government contribution towards discretionary housing payments allocated for 2012-13, the amount of unspent Government contribution from 2011-12 that has been permitted to be carried forward into 2012-13, and the overall total expenditure limit for discretionary housing payments for 2012-13 for each local authority in the south east of England.
	
		
			 £ 
			 Local authority Government contribution towards discretionary housing payments 2012-13 Carry over of unspent Government contribution towards discretionary housing payments from 2011-12 Total discretionary housing payments expenditure limit for 2012-13 
			 Adur 35,720 7,672 108,480 
			 Arun 119,866 52,885 431,878 
			 Ashford 63,529 3,615 167,860 
			 Aylesbury Vale 69,674 — 174,185 
			 Basingstoke and Deane 56,422 7,487 159,773 
			 Bracknell Forest 45,263 6,776 130,098 
			 Brighton and Hove 633,236 239,142 2,180,945 
			 Canterbury 87,410 11 218,553 
			 Cherwell 114,239 25,502 349,353 
			 Chichester 152,336 — 380,840 
			 Chiltern 50,241 — 125,603 
			 Crawley 91,558 — 228,895 
			 Dartford 69,217 3,120 180,843 
			 Dover 113,052 5,505 296,393 
			 East Hampshire 32,271 3,746 90,043 
			 Eastbourne 140,437 794 353,078 
			 Eastleigh 42,203 6,510 121,783 
		
	
	
		
			 Elmbridge 163,579 80,499 610,195 
			 Epsom and Ewell 58,866 9,170 170,090 
			 Fareham 33,983 3,448 93,578 
			 Gosport 39,774 — 99,435 
			 Gravesham 81,863 — 204,658 
			 Guildford 82,340 — 205,850 
			 Hart 24,599 8,653 83,130 
			 Hastings 156,525 2,546 397,678 
			 Havant 67,207 — 168,018 
			 Horsham 52,072 12,737 162,023 
			 Isle of Wight 111,808 25,594 343,505 
			 Lewes 83,495 25,257 271,880 
			 Maidstone 126,623 — 316,558 
			 Medway 250,518 21,088 679,015 
			 Mid Sussex 49,948 3,593 133,853 
			 Milton Keynes 219,692 21,017 601,773 
			 Mole Valley 36,070 10,684 116,885 
			 New Forest 93,754 11,389 262,858 
			 Oxford 229,846 — 574,615 
			 Portsmouth 189,015 3,237 480,630 
			 Reading 232,717 13,531 615,620 
			 Reigate and Banstead 46,323 4,060 125,958 
			 Rother 88,300 35,685 309,963 
			 Runnymede 38,380 — 95,950 
			 Rushmoor 51,871 — 129,678 
			 Sevenoaks 56,674 22,823 198,743 
			 Shepway 116,110 13,007 322,793 
			 Slough 222,406 42,994 663,500 
			 South Bucks 34,014 17,094 127,770 
			 South Oxfordshire 51,618 9,528 152,865 
			 Southampton 209,836 52,610 656,115 
			 Spelthorne 58,816 3,951 156,918 
			 Surrey Heath 26,225 — 65,563 
			 Swale 159,404 15,041 436,113 
			 Tandridge 46,304 9,105 138,523 
			 Test Valley 46,565 — 116,413 
			 Thanet 238,850 9,309 620,398 
			 Tonbridge and Mailing 41,969 — 104,923 
			 Tunbridge Wells 52,971 — 132,428 
			 Vale of White Horse 40,523 11,471 129,985 
			 Waverley 65,841 22,372 220,533 
			 Wealden . 105,336 4,056 273,480 
			 West Berkshire 116,340 — 290,850 
			 West Oxfordshire 44,209 10,441 136,625 
			 Winchester 38,744 8,870 119,035 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 122,068 — 305,170 
			 Woking 60,979 — 152,448 
			 Wokingham 49,411 9,613 147,560 
			 Worthing 75,108 — 187,770 
			 Wycombe 93,242 33,948 317,975

Industrial Health and Safety

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what target was recommended by the Lofstedt Report for reductions in health and safety regulations through sector-specific consolidation; what target he has set for such reductions; and what the evidence base was which informed his decision on the level at which to set the target.

Mark Hoban: Professor Lofstedt in his independent review of health and safety legislation recommended that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) undertake a programme of sector-specific consolidations in order to simplify the regulatory framework, reduce duplication and avoid gold plating. His recommendation was based on submissions from industry in the call for evidence for his review and from the wider public via the Government's Red Tape Challenge. No target for reduction by consolidation was set by the Professor nor has the Government set one.
	HSE is currently consulting with the relevant industry sectors on proposals for consolidation and it is expected this work will have been completed by the end of 2014—reducing burdens on business and leaving Great Britain with a simpler, more effective regulatory framework.

Social Security Benefits

Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost to the public purse was of benefits received in (a) Gloucester constituency, (b) the south-west and (c) England in each of the last five years.

Mark Hoban: 2011-12 data will be published on 21 September. Benefit expenditure for the last five years published is shown in the following table, where estimates are available:
	
		
			 Total identified benefit expenditure 
			      £ million 
			  2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Cash terms      
			 (a) Gloucester 168 178 190 208 197 
			 (b) South West 9,820 10,483 11,282 12,425 12,902 
			 (c) England 98,156 104,050 111,015 122,070 126,382 
		
	
	
		
			       
			 Real terms (2010-11 prices)      
			 (a) Gloucester 185 191 198 214 197 
			 (b) South West 10,820 11,290 11,796 12,761 12,902 
			 (c) England 108,144 112,056 116,070 125,376 126,382 
			 Notes: 1. “Gloucester” is defined as the parliamentary constituency, not Gloucester city council area. 2. All figures include expenditure for the following benefits: attendance allowance, bereavement benefits, carer's allowance, disability living allowance, employment and support allowance, incapacity benefit, income support, jobseeker's allowance, pension credit, severe disablement allowance, state pension, winter fuel payments. This covers approximately 80% of all DWP benefit expenditure; information on the remaining benefits is not available at constituency level. 3. Figures for the south-west and England also include: council tax benefit, housing benefits, industrial injuries benefits, maternity allowance, statutory maternity pay, and Over 75 TV licences. In total, this represents around 99% of all DWP benefit expenditure. 4. Figures rounded to nearest £ million. Source: DWP Statistical and Accounting data, and local authority subsidy returns 
		
	
	This information can be found on the Department for Work and Pensions website at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/index.php?page=expenditure

Social Security Benefits: Married People

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to provide that spousal benefits paid in respect of a benefit recipient are payable to no more than one wife at any one time; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: The Government has decided that universal credit will not recognise polygamous marriages. As universal credit is to be introduced from 2013 and will replace means tested benefits for working age people there are no plans to change current rules.
	There are no plans to change pension credit which only provides for polygamous marriages where the marriage was contracted in a country where polygamy was legal when the parties concerned were domiciled there.

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage increase was accounted for by the introduction of a cumulative job outcome target when calculating the minimum performance level for the Work programme.

Mark Hoban: The minimum performance level set for Work programme providers in respect of some of their payment groups was calculated as a 10% uplift in the number of job outcomes achieved compared to an estimated of the non-intervention level of performance. The non intervention level was calculated by the Department based on analysis of historical job entry rates, with deductions made for the estimated impact of previous employment programmes in operation during the period analysed (which did not include the Flexible New Deal).
	Work programme job outcome targets are designed so that providers have an incentive to help people to spend longer in employment than under previous programmes; meaning that performance levels are not directly comparable with those programmes.

Work Experience: Social Mobility

Hazel Blears: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effect of unpaid internships on social mobility.

David Willetts: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Government appointed Alan Milburn as Independent Reviewer on Social Mobility and Child Poverty. In that role he has provided evidence on the range of barriers that restrict social mobility. His progress report on Access to the Professions (published in May 2012) concludes that that unpaid internships can present a barrier to those from less affluent backgrounds progressing and that internships are increasingly important to finding employment.
	Alan Millburn's report welcomed the Government's position that employers should pay interns a wage that reflects the value of their contribution. High quality internships offer many benefits to employers and interns. Government believes that fair access to such opportunities is paramount. We want to make as many high quality internship opportunities as possible available to talented young people from all backgrounds. This means avoiding unfair and restrictive practices and poor quality internships that exploit young people.
	We have updated our guidance on the payment of work experience and interns to ensure that individuals and employers are clear about their rights and responsibilities. We will ensure that enforcement of the minimum wage continues to be effective and that resources are focused on where they will have maximum impact.
	We also endorse the ‘Common Best Practice Code for High Quality Internships’, published by the Gateways to the Professions Collaborative Forum, which we believe will help improve access to the professions for young people from all backgrounds.
	The BIS sponsored Graduate Talent Pool has provided 49,000 internship opportunities to date. Improved quality assurance processes have ensured that in recent months, unpaid and expenses only vacancies represent between 2% and 5% of vacancies.

Anti-slavery Day

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to mark Anti-Slavery Day on 18 October 2012.

Helen Grant: The Government is committed to marking Anti-Slavery Day. Plans are still being considered and will be announced in due course.

Coroners

Jo Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the average length of time taken for the completion of coroner inquests was in (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to reduce the length of time taken for the completion of coroner inquests;
	(3)  what effect he expects the appointment of a chief coroner will have on the time taken to complete coroner inquests.

Helen Grant: The estimated average time taken by coroners to complete inquests in 2009. 2010 and 2011 was 27 weeks. The Ministry of Justice collects statistical information on the length of inquests in aggregate form by asking coroners to state the number of inquests completed within specified time bands. The latest published National Statistics on the work of coroners relates to 2011 and is available on the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/coroners-and-burials/deaths
	The Ministry of Justice is preparing to implement a number of measures in the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 that will help to reduce the length of time taken to complete coroner investigations. In particular, coroners will be required to notify the Chief Coroner of any investigation that lasts more than 12 months. The Chief Coroner will be required to keep a register of such notifications and to report annually to the Lord Chancellor on the number and length of these investigations, the reasons for delays and the measures taken to prevent delays from becoming unnecessarily lengthy. This will bring about a much greater focus on the length of, and reasons for, delays within the system and put pressure on coroners to keep delays to a minimum.
	The Ministry intends to bring these measures into force as soon as practicable.

Fines

John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many fines levied by HM Courts and Tribunals Service have been paid in full or in part by an unpaid work order since 1 September 2004.

Helen Grant: Although schedule 6 of the Courts Act 2003 sets provisions for the use of unpaid work orders as a sanction for fine defaulters this sanction is not actually used as a method of fine enforcement. The sanction was initially piloted in some local justice areas but due to difficulties in administering the scheme it was not implemented. It is not possible to identify the number of fines where these orders were imposed without carrying out a manual search of all the fine accounts in the pilot areas which would incur disproportionate costs.

Fraud

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convictions there were for (a) credit card fraud and (b) mortgage fraud in each of the last 10 years.

Damian Green: Information held centrally on the Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database does not include the circumstances behind each case beyond the description provided in the statute. It is not possible to separately identify from this centrally held information those specific offences related to credit card and mortgage fraud from other offences of fraud and theft.
	Proceedings for offences of credit card fraud may be initiated under the Fraud Act 2006. However, credit card fraud may be included as part of a more serious crime such as. for example, money laundering. Mortgage fraud includes offences that involve deceiving a lender about an aspect of a secured property loan in order to obtain that loan and may be initiated under the Fraud Act 2006 or if the proceedings predate January 2007 under section 15 of the Theft Act 1968.
	The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts under the Fraud Act 2006 and Theft Act 1968 Section 15 in England and Wales from 2002 to 2011 can be viewed in the tables.
	Charging data are not collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice.
	
		
			 Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts under the Fraud Act 2006 and Theft Act 1968 Section 15, England and Wales, 2002 to 2011 (1,2) 
			  2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 
			  Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty 
			 Fraud Act 2006(4) —(5) —(5) —(5) —(5) —(5) —(5) —(5) —(5) —(5) —(5) 
			 Theft Act 1968, Section 15(6) 12,770 9,354 11,497 8,457 9,824 7,519 8,196 6,472 6,311 5,080 
			 Total 12,770 9,354 11,497 8,457 9,824 7,519 8,196 6,472 6,311 5,080 
		
	
	
		
			  2007 2008 (3) 2009 2010 2011 
			  Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty 
			 Fraud Act 2006(4) 4,033 3,150 7,074 5,620 10,434 8,133 11,588 9,030 11,156 8,975 
			 Theft Act 1968, Section 15(6) 3,300 2,470 749 678 333 234 284 200 180 114 
			 Total 7,333 5,620 7,823 6,298 10,767 8,367 11,872 9,230 11,336 9,089 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. (4) Came into force in January 2007. (5) Not applicable. (6) Includes offences of obtaining, attempting to obtain, and conspiring to obtain, property by deception. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice.

Fraud: Social Security Benefits

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many non-UK nationals from each country have been successfully prosecuted for benefit fraud in each of the last five years.

Damian Green: The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. This centrally held court proceedings data does not includes a defendant's nationality.

Human Trafficking

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were convicted in relation to people trafficking in the last two years.

Damian Green: The number of defendants found guilty at all courts, on a principal offence basis, for human trafficking offences, in England and Wales in 2010 and 2011 can be viewed in the following table.
	
		
			 Number of defendants found guilty at all courts for human trafficking offences (1) , England and Wales, 2010 and 2011 (2, 3) 
			  Number of defendants 
			 2010 16 
			 2011 8 
			 (1 )Includes offences under: Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc) Act 2004: Sexual offences Act 2003. (2 )The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 
			 (3 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice.

Olympic Games 2012: Touting

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many people were convicted for illegally reselling tickets for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in each month of 2012; and what the average fine levied was for such convictions;
	(2)  how many applications for convictions have been made for people suspected of illegally reselling tickets for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games outside the UK;
	(3)  how many people have been convicted of illegally reselling tickets for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games outside the UK;
	(4)  how many convictions for illegally reselling tickets for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games were subjected to an application for further fines under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002; and what the (a) average and (b) total amount collected was.

Damian Green: On 28 August 2012 the Ministry of Justice published “Provisional management information on Olympic related criminal proceedings”.
	This publication provides provisional management information for all Olympic related criminal proceedings currently going through criminal courts and the number of proceedings which have been fast tracked. The report is available on the ministry's website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/ad-hoc/provisional-olympic-stats.pdf.
	To enable timely reporting of information on offences related to the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics a limited amount of data has been collated.
	It is therefore not possible to provide the additional information requested.
	Regarding the information requested concerning the illegal resale of tickets for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games outside the United Kingdom, the Ministry of Justice holds statistical data relating to those prosecuted in courts in England and Wales, however information is not collated centrally on the particulars of an offence other than where specified in statute. This information could be obtained only by manually inspecting each court file for the particulars of the case at disproportionate cost.
	Therefore, we are unable to provide this information.

Prisoners

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (a) how many mobile telephones and (b) what quantity of drugs were seized from prisoners in each prison in each of the last two years.

Jeremy Wright: The following table shows the number of finds of mobile phones or SIM cards found on prisoners and young offenders in each prison in each of the last two years. One find could constitute a phone only, a SIM card only, or a mobile phone with one SIM card or a media stick/memory card.
	
		
			 Prison Number of finds 
			 September 2010 to August 2011  
			 Acklington 29 
			 Albany 2 
			 Altcourse 265 
			 Ashwell 2 
			 Aylesbury 103 
			 Bedford 30 
			 Belmarsh S 
			 Birmingham 91 
			 Blantyre House 1 
			 Blundeston 7 
			 Brinsford 6 
			 Bristol 22 
			 Brixton 57 
			 Bronzefield 8 
			 Buckley Hall 15 
			 Bullingdon 19 
			 Bullwood Hall 3 
			 Camp Hill 81 
			 Canterbury 11 
			 Cardiff 14 
			 Castington 4 
			 Channings Wood 65 
			 Chelmsford 21 
			 Coldingley 44 
			 Cookham Wood 2 
			 Dartmoor 14 
			 Deerbolt 6 
			 Doncaster 5 
			 Dorchester 15 
			 Dovegate 9 
			 Dover 25 
			 Downview 2 
			 Drake Hall 1 
			 Durham 7 
			 East Sutton Park 6 
			 Eastwood Park 3 
			 Edmunds Hill 19 
			 Elmley 46 
			 Erlestoke 75 
			 Everthorpe 32 
			 Exeter 23 
			 Featherstone 33 
			 Feltham 63 
			 Ford 31 
			 Forest Bank 45 
			 Frankland 5 
			 Full Sutton 3 
			 Garth 30 
			 Gartree 4 
			 Glen Parva 2 
			 Gloucester 2 
			 Grendon and Spring Hill 2 
			 Guys Marsh 90 
			 Haverigg 43 
		
	
	
		
			 Hewell 65 
			 High Down 60 
			 Highpoint 20 
			 Hindley 2 
			 Hollesley Bay 40 
			 Holloway 8 
			 Holme House 17 
			 Hull 11 
			 Huntercombe 26 
			 Isis 20 
			 Kennet 5 
			 Kirkham 68 
			 Kirklevington Grange 2 
			 Lancaster Castle 5 
			 Lancaster Farms 65 
			 Latchmere House 10 
			 Leeds 53 
			 Leicester 26 
			 Lewes 29 
			 Leyhill 23 
			 Lincoln 22 
			 Lindholme 72 
			 Littlehey 28 
			 Liverpool 127 
			 Long Lartin 3 
			 Low Newton 1 
			 Lowdham Grange 19 
			 Maidstone 20 
			 Manchester 41 
			 Moorland 7 
			 Moorlands 21 
			 Morton Hall 1 
			 Mount 89 
			 North Sea Camp 22 
			 Northallerton 2 
			 Norwich 8 
			 Nottingham 22 
			 Onley 74 
			 Parc 29 
			 Parkhurst 4 
			 Pentonville 231 
			 Peterborough 96 
			 Portland 4 
			 Preston 10 
			 Ranby 79 
			 Reading 5 
			 Risley 43 
			 Rochester 2 
			 Rye Hill 47 
			 Send 1 
			 Shepton Mallet 6 
			 Springhill 1 
			 Stafford 49 
			 Standford Hill 47 
			 Stocken 10 
			 Styal 6 
			 Sudbury 31 
			 Swaleside 56 
			 Swinfen Hall 44 
			 Thorn Cross 46 
			 Usk 1 
			 Verne 57 
		
	
	
		
			 Wandsworth 119 
			 Warren Hill 4 
			 Wayland 34 
			 Wealstun 76 
			 Wellingborough 131 
			 Werrington House 4 
			 Wetherby 2 
			 Whitemoor 8 
			 Winchester 21 
			 Wolds 120 
			 Woodhill 3 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 100 
			 Wymott 22 
			   
			 September 2011 to August 2012  
			 Acklington 11 
			 Albany 1 
			 Altcourse 181 
			 Ashfield 2 
			 Ashwell  
			 Askham Grange t 
			 Aylesbury 15 
			 Bedford 26 
			 Belmarsh 4 
			 Birmingham 116 
			 Blantyre House 4 
			 Blundeston 7 
			 Brinsford 50 
			 Bristol 8 
			 Brixton 2i 
			 Bronzefield 3 
			 Buckley Hall 32 
			 Bullingdon 5 
			 Bullwood Hall 5 
			 Camp Hill 29 
			 Canterbury 8 
			 Cardiff 13 
			 Castington 3 
			 Channings Wood 15 
			 Chelmsford 15 
			 Coldingley 26 
			 Cookham Wood 1 
			 Dartmoor 5 
			 Deerbolt 7 
			 Doncaster 6 
			 Dorchester 12 
			 Dovegate 21 
			 Dover 9 
			 Drake Hall 1 
			 Durham 52 
			 East Sutton Park 2 
			 Eastwood Park 2 
			 Elmley 28 
			 Erlestoke 117 
			 Everthorpe 22 
			 Exeter 5 
			 Featherstone 51 
			 Feltham 37 
			 Ford 34 
			 Forest Bank 40 
			 Frankland 4 
		
	
	
		
			 Full Sutton 8 
			 Garth 10 
			 Gartree 15 
			 Glen Parva S 
			 Gloucester 3 
			 Guys Marsh 116 
			 Hatfield 5 
			 Haverigg 52 
			 Hewell 205 
			 High Down 36 
			 Highpoint 94 
			 Hindley 2 
			 Hollesley Bay 14 
			 Holloway 6 
			 Holme House 9 
			 Hull 9 
			 Huntercombe 9 
			 Isis 43 
			 Kennet 8 
			 Kirkham 68 
			 Kirklevington Grange 15 
			 Lancaster Farms 19 
			 Leeds 28 
			 Leicester 9 
			 Lewes 17 
			 Leyhill 7 
			 Lincoln 8 
			 Lindholme 71 
			 Littlehey 14 
			 Liverpool 67 
			 Long Lartin 2 
			 Low Newton 2 
			 Lowdham Grange 13 
			 Maidstone 31 
			 Manchester 14 
			 Moorland 10 
			 Moorlands 6 
			 Morton Hall 7 
			 Mount 87 
			 North Sea Camp 34 
			 Northallerton 2 
			 Northumberland 100 
			 Norwich 4 
			 Nottingham 17 
			 Onley 19 
			 Parc 34 
			 Parkhurst 6 
			 Pentonville 95 
			 Peterborough 49 
			 Portland 3 
			 Prescoed 1 
			 Preston 13 
			 Ranby 67 
			 Reading 16 
			 Risley 8 
			 Rochester 5 
			 Rye Hill 56 
			 Send 1 
			 Springhill 5 
			 Stafford 17 
			 Standford Hill 26 
			 Stocken 19 
		
	
	
		
			 Stoke Heath 27 
			 Styal 7 
			 Sudbury 47 
			 Swaleside 55 
			 Swinfen Hall 17 
			 Thameside I 
			 Thorn Cross 44 
			 Verne 93 
			 Wakefield 2 
			 Wandsworth 104 
			 Warren Hill 2 
			 Wayland 12 
			 Wealstun 88 
			 Wellingborough 60 
			 Werrington House 3 
			 Wetherby 2 
			 Whitemoor 3 
			 Winchester 3 
			 Wolds 38 
			 Woodhill 11 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 73 
			 Wymott 16 
		
	
	The following table shows the total number of drug and drug taking paraphernalia seizures made in each prison in each of the past two years. It includes seizures from prisoners, from other persons and seizures which are not attributable to a person. This is because the number of drug seizures in prisons is recorded on a central database which does not record from whom the seizure was made or if the seizure was not attributable to a person. To establish which of the seizures were from prisoners would involve an investigation into each seizure which would incur disproportionate cost.
	It is important to note that many drugs are similar in appearance and in many cases finds of drugs are not categorically identified by scientific analysis. Some will have been identified using indicative reagent or Marquis tests. Many will have been identified by appearance only.
	
		
			 Establishment September 2010 to August 2011 September 2011 to August 2012 
			 Acklington 47 19 
			 Albany 0 0 
			 Altcourse 301 213 
			 Ashfield 1 2 
			 Ashwell 1 0 
			 Askham Grange 0 0 
			 Aylesbury 15 6 
			 Bedford 15 10 
			 Belmarsh 12 10 
			 Birmingham 2 25 
			 Blantyre House 0 1 
			 Blundeston 0 0 
			 Brinsford 4 26 
			 Bristol 30 29 
			 Brixton 36 15 
			 Bronzefield 37 31 
			 Buckley Hall 57 136 
			 Bullingdon 48 34 
			 Bullwood Hall 0 2 
		
	
	
		
			 Bure 2 0 
			 Camp Hill 10 20 
			 Canterbury 2 6 
			 Cardiff 37 33 
			 Castington 26 60 
			 Channings Wood 32 31 
			 Chelmsford 30 57 
			 Coldingley 5 4 
			 Cookham Wood 0 0 
			 Dartmoor 11 8 
			 Deerbolt 22 24 
			 Doncaster 41 128 
			 Dorchester 22 35 
			 Dovegate 116 171 
			 Dover Immigration 26 20 
			 Downview 3 1 
			 Drake Hall 7 6 
			 Durham 76 123 
			 East Sutton Park 0 0 
			 Eastwood Park 0 2 
			 Edmunds Hill 12 0 
			 Elmley 62 70 
			 Erlestoke 34 66 
			 Everthorpe 43 32 
			 Exeter 76 64 
			 Featherstone 26 65 
			 Feltham 9 18 
			 Ford 144 165 
			 Forest Bank 228 230 
			 Foston Hall 0 2 
			 Frankland 13 13 
			 Full Sutton 9 9 
			 Garth 46 68 
			 Gartree 3 11 
			 Glen Parva 13 17 
			 Gloucester 15 14 
			 Grendon 0 0 
			 Guys Marsh 35 39 
			 Haslar Immigration 1 2 
			 Hatfield 2 0 
			 Haverigg 47 73 
			 Highdown 13 4 
			 Highpoint 43 98 
			 Hindley 8 4 
			 Hewell 89 139 
			 Hollesley Bay 0 1 
			 Holloway 5 4 
			 Holme House 79 77 
			 Hull 3 11 
			 Huntercombe I I 
			 Isis 3 11 
			 Kennet 10 16 
			 Kingston 0 0 
			 Kirkham 169 179 
			 Kirklevington Grange 31 71 
			 Lancaster Castle 3 0 
			 Lancaster Farms 6 2 
			 Latchmere House 3 0 
			 Leeds 26 51 
			 Leicester 73 33 
		
	
	
		
			 Lewes 27 39 
			 Leyhill 66 41 
			 Lincoln 34 22 
			 Lindholme 40 33 
			 Littlehey 0 1 
			 Liverpool 13 10 
			 Long Lartin 2 2 
			 Lowdham Grange 68 109 
			 Low Newton 61 62 
			 Maidstone 2 2 
			 Manchester 95 $5 
			 Moorland Closed 16 15 
			 Morton Hall Immigration 4 30 
			 New Hall 2 5 
			 Northallerton 6 10 
			 North Sea Camp 91 36 
			 Northumberland 0 68 
			 Norwich 1 20 
			 Nottingham 68 83 
			 Oakwood 0 3 
			 Onley 72 67 
			 Parc 53 72 
			 Parkhurst 1 2 
			 Pentonville 97 66 
			 Peterborough Female 9 31 
			 Peterborough 55 47 
			 Portland 14 5 
			 Prescoed 0 1 
			 Preston 79 94 
			 Ranby 11 16 
			 Reading 1 0 
			 Risley 42 44 
			 Rochester 5 1 
			 Rye Hill 44 49 
			 Send 0 0 
			 Shepton Mallett 4 1 
			 Shrewsbury 1 0 
			 Spring Hill 3 0 
			 Stafford 38 49 
			 Standford Hill 65 44 
			 Stocken 28 6 
			 Stoke Heath 4 16 
			 Styal 2 5 
			 Sudbury 199 235 
			 Swaleside 83 32 
			 Swansea 0 2 
			 Swinfen Hall 8 7 
			 Thameside 0 7 
			 The Mount 69 56 
			 The Verne 19 28 
			 Thorn Cross 6 2 
			 Usk 0 0 
			 Wakefield 1 0 
			 Wandsworth 8 7 
			 Warren Hill 5 I 
			 Wayland 15 12 
			 Wealstun 4 4 
			 Wellingborough 9 7 
			 Werrington 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			 Wetherby 33 10 
			 Whatton 0 0 
			 Whitemoor 1 2 
			 Winchester 1 2 
			 Wolds 72 51 
			 Woodhill 1 0 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 52 32 
			 Wymott 12 13 
		
	
	All figures in this answer have been drawn from live administrative data systems which may be amended at any time. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. The data are not subject to audit.

Prisoners' Discharge Grants

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the maximum number of times is that a person eligible to receive a discharge grant from prison has received such a grant in each of the last two years.

Jeremy Wright: National Offender Management Service policy guidance for the payment to prisoners of discharge grants can be found at annex B of Prison Service Instruction 72/2011—Discharge, a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library. This states that all eligible prisoners aged 18 or over who have served more than 14 days in custody after receiving a custodial sentence must on release be given a discharge grant of £46 unless certain exclusions apply.
	These exclusions include those sentenced prisoners who have served 14 days or less in custody since the date of sentence, those awaiting deportation or removal from the United Kingdom and those recalled from licence to prison for a period of 14 days or less. It is not possible to produce a breakdown of the prisoners who have received such a grant in each of the last two years or how many times each prisoner has received a discharge grant as this information is not recorded centrally.

Prisons: Television

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of prisoners who have access to Sky TV in their prison cells.

Jeremy Wright: "Sky TV" where this refers to a service received from British Sky Broadcasting in return for a subscription is not available in-cell in public sector prisons.
	As part of the recent digital switchover each eligible prisoner, located in a public sector prison, has access to nine free-to-view channels in-cell. These are BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky News Sport (E4 in female prisons), ITV3, VIVA and Film 4. Governors have discretion to change any of these channels to other free-to-view channels locally, but will be responsible for any costs incurred and only free-to-view channels may be provided. It is the governor's responsibility to ensure that any channel chosen is suitable for viewing with regard to the population of their prison.
	Prisoners' access to in-cell television is dependent on their status under the Prison Service's Incentives and Earned Privileges Scheme (Prison Service Instruction 11/2011 refers, a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library). Information relating to the number of prisoners who have access to specific television channels is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Information about the number of prisoners held in contracted-out prisons who may have access to Sky television in their cells is not immediately available. I will write to my hon. Friend with this information as soon as it is available, and will place a copy in the House Library.

Sexual Harassment: Employment Tribunals Service

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many employment tribunals involving allegations of harassment at work of a sexual nature were (a) heard and (b) upheld in each of the last five years.

Helen Grant: Information on the number of employment tribunal complaints involving allegations of sexual harassment is not held centrally. It could be collated only by trawling individual tribunal files manually. Accordingly, it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, all complaints of sexual harassment would be categorised by HM Courts and Tribunals Service as falling within the wider sex discrimination jurisdiction. Sexual harassment complaints are therefore a sub-set of sex discrimination complaints, as recorded in the statistics published annually and quarterly by the Ministry of Justice.
	The following table shows the number of sex discrimination complaints disposed of at a hearing in each of the last five complete financial years. The data are broken down, showing the volume of complaints successful at final hearing, unsuccessful at final hearing, and dismissed at a preliminary hearing—and the overall total, as well as the percentage of ‘successful’ complaints relative to the overall number of sex discrimination complaints disposed of at a hearing.
	
		
			 Complaints of sex discrimination disposed of at hearing by employment tribunals in each of the last five financial years 
			  2007-08 2008-09 2009-010 2010-011 2011-012 
			 Successful at final hearing 470 340 340 290 290 
			 Unsuccessful at final hearing 640 600 560 590 590 
			 Dismissed at preliminary hearing 200 210 180 200 190 
			 Total heard 1,310 1,150 1,080 1,080 1,070 
			 Percentage of total as successful (%) 35.88 29.57 31.48 26.85 27.10 
			 Source: Annual employment tribunal statistics. Employment tribunal disposals achieved otherwise than at a hearing are excluded. See published statistical releases for further information: http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/tribunals

Sexual Offences: Lie Detectors

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment his Department has made of the accuracy of the lie detector test used on sex offenders.

Jeremy Wright: The polygraph, which is often described as a "lie detector", measures arousal associated with physiological changes of the autonomic nervous system. It is not a detector of lies as such but measures physiological arousal hypothesised to be the product of deception (ie respiration, cardiovascular and sweat responses).
	Although current evidence suggests that a polygraph test cannot be relied upon to achieve 100% accuracy, the National Research Council (NRC) review(1) concluded that, in the absence of countermeasures (attempts to interfere with the polygraph test), there was evidence that, for assessing specific historical incidents, the polygraph can obtain levels of accuracy which are well above chance (typically 80-90%).
	In accordance with the provisions of sections 28 and 29 of the Offender Management Act 2007 (the 2007 Act), the National Offender Management Service conducted a pilot of mandatory polygraph testing for sexual offenders released on licence into the East and West Midlands regions from 19 January 2009 to 31 March 2012. Results from polygraph testing were used in conjunction with other information to make decisions about managing those sexual offenders.
	An independent evaluation of the pilots published on 20 July 2012 concluded that polygraph testing increased the chances that a sexual offender under supervision in the community will reveal information relevant to their management, supervision, treatment, or risk assessment. It also increased the likelihood of preventative actions being taken by Offender Managers to protect the public from harm.
	The report is available via the link:
	www.justice.gov.uk/publications/research-and-analysis/moj/index.htm
	Under the 2007 Act, an affirmative resolution from each House of Parliament is required before mandatory polygraph testing may become compulsory for sexual offenders outside the terms permitted under the pilot.
	(1) National Research Council (2003). “The polygraph and lie detection”. Committee to Review the Scientific Evidence on the Polygraph. Washington. DC: The National Academic Press.

Unpaid Fines

John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 17 July 2012, Official Report, column 543W, on unpaid fines, how many financial penalties are outstanding; and how many of those are (a) being paid by deduction from benefits, (b) being paid by attachment of earnings and (c) designated as hard to trace in the latest period for which figures are available.

Helen Grant: There were approximately 1,680,000 fines outstanding at the end of March 2012, the latest period for which data are available. Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service do not collect centrally the number being paid by deduction from benefits, being paid by attachment of earnings or designated as hard to trace. We could only obtain this information by manually inspecting each account which would incur disproportionate costs.
	The Government takes the issue of fine enforcement very seriously and HMCTS is working to ensure that clamping down on fine defaulters is a continued priority nationwide.

Youth Unemployment

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on fiscal measures to reduce long-term youth unemployment.

Michael McCann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on fiscal measures to reduce long-term youth unemployment.

Kate Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on fiscal measures to reduce long-term youth unemployment.

Sajid Javid: The Youth Contract was launched in April to help support half a million young people into employment. The Government remains committed to implementation of this programme, and in July this year amended eligibility criteria for wage incentives to allow earlier access to subsidies for young people in 20 local authority areas with high youth unemployment levels.
	In addition, the Work programme has been under way since June, delivering personalised support to long-term and vulnerable jobseekers. So far, around 180,000 young people have been supported through this programme.

Infrastructure

Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress his Department has made on implementation of the national infrastructure plan 2011.

Danny Alexander: The Government is ensuring that the infrastructure identified in the National Infrastructure Plan 2011 is delivered efficiently and on time. I chair a Cabinet Sub-Committee on infrastructure to provide leadership to this work. The Government has also launched innovative schemes, such as UK Guarantees, to kick start struggling infrastructure projects.
	An update on the progress of the priority infrastructure investments was published alongside this year's Budget and the Treasury will be publishing a further progress update around the time of the autumn statement.

Beer Duty

Peter Aldous: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the relative effect of progressive beer duty relief on breweries seeking to maximise export opportunities.

Sajid Javid: Small Breweries Relief provides a tax relief worth £30 million to over 700 of the UK's smallest brewers. The relief helps to encourage investment in small breweries, promoting growth and increasing diversity in the beer market.
	The Government has made no assessment of the effect that Small Breweries Relief may have on export opportunities for small brewers. However, the Treasury keeps all taxes under review and is open to receiving any evidence of the impact of the relief in this area.

Cost of Credit

Neil Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Government has taken to reduce the cost of credit to the real economy.

Greg Clark: The Government and the Bank of England have launched the Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS) to reduce funding costs for banks so that they can make loans cheaper and more easily available for households and non-financial businesses in the UK. In addition, 19,000 cheaper bank loans worth £2.6 billion have been offered to smaller businesses under the National Loan Guarantee Scheme, since its launch on 20 March this year.

Churchill Insurance

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Direct Line Group about the effect of the proposed closure of the Churchill call centre in Thornaby-on-Tees on the Tees Valley sub-regional economy.

Sajid Javid: The Government's shareholding in the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is managed on a commercial and arm's length basis by UK Financial Investments Ltd (UKFI), a company which is wholly owned by the Government.
	UKFI's overarching objective is to protect and create value for the taxpayer as shareholder, with due regard to financial stability and acting in a way that promotes competition.
	As an engaged shareholder, UKFI works closely with the bank's management to assure themselves of the bank's approach to strategy and to hold management rigorously to account for performance.
	However, UKFI's role is to manage the investment, not to manage the bank—the bank retains its own independent board and management team to manage itself commercially without interference from shareholders. The Government are therefore unable to comment on these matters.

Financial Services: Advisory Services

Annette Brooke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the burden of regulatory cost for Independent Financial Advisers operating as a one person business; and if he will make a statement.

Sajid Javid: Treasury Ministers receive representations from a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such representations. Financial Services Regulation is a matter for the Financial Services Authority, an independent non-governmental body.

Community Interest Companies

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many community interest companies there were in each (a) local authority area and (b) Parliamentary constituency in each year since 2006.

Jo Swinson: Companies House cannot provide a breakdown of community interest companies (CICs) by local authority area or parliamentary constituency as their records are split into area postal codes, and to do so would be at disproportionate cost. Spreadsheets showing the number of CICs registered to each area postal code in each year since 2006 will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Consumers: Loans

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the proportion of bill-of-sale lenders who have signed up to abide by his Department's voluntary code of practice; and if his Department will reconsider the option of introducing a mandatory code.

Jo Swinson: The Government understands the concerns around the use of bills of swale in consumer lending. The Government consulted on whether to ban the use of these types of loans but following a careful consideration of all the evidence, concluded that rather than banning these loans, a package of measures based on an industry Code of Practice was the best way to proceed in this market.
	The Consumer Credit Trade Association, the trade association representing the vast majority of logbook loan companies is responsible for the code. They recently estimated that around 80% of the industry has signed up to the code.
	As well as increasing existing consumer protections, The Code is designed to give greater protection to any unsuspecting buyer of a second-hand car.
	The Government has no plans to introduce a mandatory code at this time.

Consumers: Protection

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will review consumer protection rules for the purpose of providing further protection for consumers paying tradespeople in cash.

Jo Swinson: Consumers are already protected in law against faulty or substandard goods and services when they pay tradesmen for goods or services whether in cash or by other means. Depending on whether the consumer is paying for goods or services, the relevant legislation is the Sale of Goods Act 1979 or the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982, respectively.
	The Government is intending to bring forward a Consumer Bill of Rights to simplify and clarify consumer rights when those goods or services are defective so that they are easier for consumers to understand and enforce.
	The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs) make it an offence for traders to treat consumers unfairly through misleading actions, misleading omissions or aggressive practices. The Government is also intending to bring forward proposals to give consumers who are victims of these practices clearer private rights of redress.

Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  if he will take steps to ensure that any transitional periods granted to businesses affected by the proposed changes to section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 will be granted on a case-by-case basis;
	(2)  whether his Department plans to offer assistance to firms engaged in the manufacturing and production of replica furniture if they suffer economic disadvantage as a result of the proposed changes to section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988;
	(3)  if he will estimate the number of British businesses likely to be economically (a) advantaged and (b) disadvantaged as a result of the proposed changes to section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988;
	(4)  what the evidential basis is of the statement in his Department's impact assessment report on the proposed changes to section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, that the extensive use made by internet importers of the UK as a staging post for EU-wide sales means that it is likely that a very significant part of this claimed loss could be caused by infringers trading in the UK;
	(5)  what consultation his Department is conducting on a transitional period for businesses to adapt under the proposed changes to section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988;
	(6)  if he will conduct an assessment of the recent study by Dr Clare McAndrew of potential effects of the repeal of section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 on manufacturers, importers and retailers of replica furniture; and if he will publish the results of that assessment;
	(7)  what assessment he has made of potential changes in the level of litigation relating to copyright disputes as a result of the proposed changes to section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988;
	(8)  whether he has made an assessment of the likely effects of the proposed repeal of section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 on firms currently producing furniture replicas;
	(9)  what assessment he has made of the impact assessment report from the Intellectual Property Office on the plans to repeal section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988;
	(10)  whether the proposed changes to section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 will be introduced on the basis of a transitional period to allow firms to adjust;
	(11)  what assessment he has made of whether firms are likely to close as a result of the proposed changes to section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988; and how many such closures may take place;
	(12)  whether he has made an estimate of additional costs that may be incurred by businesses as a result of the proposed changes to section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988;
	(13)  if he proposes to consult with any of the individuals and businesses likely to be affected by the proposed changes to section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988;
	(14)  if he will publish the research and statistical basis for the cost and benefit analysis of the plans to repeal section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 set out in the impact assessment by the Intellectual Property Office;
	(15)  what factors he plans to take into account when deciding what length of transitional periods should be granted to businesses affected by the proposed changes to section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988;
	(16)  which stakeholders were consulted as part of the impact assessment process for the proposed changes to section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988;
	(17)  if he will estimate any projected change in tax revenue resulting from the proposed changes to section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988;
	(18)  if he will estimate the likely effect of the proposed changes to section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 on the number of jobs in (a) manufacturers and importers of replica furniture and (b) other associated businesses;
	(19)  whether the Intellectual Property Office consulted manufacturers and importers of, and traders in, replicas as part of its impact assessment of the proposed changes to section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988; and if he will publish any representations made as the result of such consultation;
	(20)  whether his Department consulted about the possibility of applying the proposed changes to section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 retrospectively.

Jo Swinson: As detailed in the impact assessment on copyright protection for designs:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/corporate/docs/c/12-866-copyright-protection-designs-impact-assessment
	the Government proposes to repeal section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (“section 52”) in order to clarify and update UK legislation in line with EU law.
	The Government did not carry out a formal consultation prior to publishing the impact assessment, but it did take into account representations made to it by manufacturers of classic designs who have said that they sustain significant losses as a result of internet sellers who take advantage of the loop hole in the UK legislation to sell unauthorised copies from the far east in the rest of the EU. The Government does not plan to publish these ad hoc representations. It is aware of the work by Dr Clare McAndrew.
	The research and statistical basis underlying the cost and benefit analysis for the proposed repeal was set out in the impact assessment and was endorsed by the Regulatory Policy Committee as fit for purpose.
	The Government has no current plans to provide further estimates of the impact on jobs or tax receipts on businesses associated with the manufacturing and import of replica furniture. Nor are there any plans to apply the changes retrospectively.
	As detailed in the published impact assessment, the number of items which may be affected by the repeal of section 52 is uncertain, but will depend on the exact nature of the transitional provisions, the extent to which the provisions are tailored to individual cases, as well as stock levels, and contractual and licensing arrangements. The repeal may have only limited impact in some sectors, depending on how many rights holders decide to enforce their copyrights and to litigate if necessary, and how far the works concerned are judged to qualify for copyright protection. The Government has no plans to provide direct financial assistance.
	The Government will hold a public consultation on the implementation of the transitional provisions. In the meantime, discussions and evidence-gathering with importers, sellers and manufacturers of replica furniture are continuing.

Education: Prisoners

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many prisoners in (a) England and (b) Birmingham have participated in his Department's Making Prisons Work: Skills for Rehabilitation scheme since May 2011; and what the cost of this scheme has been.

Matthew Hancock: ‘Making Prisons Work: Skills for Rehabilitation’, published jointly by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Ministry of Justice in May 2011, set out a new strategy for offender learning and represents a new way of delivering it. The strategy gives prison governors a new, decisive influence on the choice of education provider and the curriculum to be delivered, and renews and refreshes the focus on developing the skills employers want in the areas where prisoners will be released. Its principal impacts will begin to be seen from this summer as providers commence delivery against a new service specification.
	The Skills Funding Agency's budget for 2012-13 to deliver learning and careers advice in prisons is £154 million. Skills Funding Agency data show that on 1 June 2012, 28,687(1) prisoners were engaged in learning it funds, with 318 engaged at HMP Birmingham.
	(1) Data exclude HMP Thameside and HMP Oakwood.

Export Controls

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average time taken to award an export licence was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Michael Fallon: holding answer 7 September 2012
	The Export Control Organisation (ECO) aims to process 70% of standard individual export licence (SIEL) and standard individual trade control licence (SITCL) applications within 20 working days. For open individual export licence (OIEL) and open individual trade control licence (OITCL) applications, the ECO aims to process 60% of applications within 60 working days.
	Median processing times are published as part of the Government's Annual and Quarterly reports on Strategic Export Controls, which are available to view on the Strategic Export Controls Reports and Statistics website at:
	https://www.exportcontroldb.bis.gov.uk/eng/fox
	For the first quarter of 2012, the median processing times for SIELs and SITCLs was 15 days, and for OIELs and OITCLs 54 days.
	Information covering 1 April to 30 June 2012, will be published in October 2012.

India

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to reduce the UK's current account deficit with India.

Michael Fallon: The UK had a current account surplus of £972 million with India in 2011.
	The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills will continue its work to create further improvements in the bilateral trade and investment relationship between the UK and India. UK Trade and Investment's (UKTI) India team is the third largest such operation in the world with 86 staff based in nine cities. The team delivers a full programme of activity aimed at supporting UK businesses, particularly from the small medium sized enterprise (SME) sector, seeking to do business in India. UKTI also provides financial support (£1 Million P/A) for the UK India Business Council which alongside UKTI, advises UK businesses on how to succeed in India.
	A successful resolution to the ongoing EU—India Free Trade Agreement negotiations will also have a positive effect on our current account with India.

Regional Growth Fund: Worcestershire

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding has been awarded to businesses in Worcestershire through the Regional Growth Fund to date.

Michael Fallon: The Regional Growth Fund (RGF) is delivering jobs and leveraging approximately £6 private investment for every pound Government spends. 13% of successful RGF projects from Rounds 1 and 2 are from the West Midlands; it is an important region which we will continue to support. In Worcestershire, conditional allocations of £20,855,000 has been made from the first two rounds of bidding. Successful bids under Round Three will be announced shortly.

Students: Finance

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many applications for professional and career development loans were received in each academic year since 2001-02.

David Willetts: Data held by the Skills Funding Agency indicates that, from the introduction of professional and career development loans in 2009, the following number of loan applications was received by the participating banks:
	
		
			 Financial year Number of applications 
			 2009-10 20,627 
			 2010-11 19,229 
			 2011-12 22,716 
		
	
	In tine with the management of Departmental budgets, data is recorded in financial years, rather than academic years. Data regarding applications for career development loans (up to 2009) was not part of the contractual audit requirements agreed with the banks. Information is therefore not available on the number of loan applications received prior to 2009.

Work Experience: Minimum Wage

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many complaints his Department's Pay and Work Rights helpline service has received from people who have undertaken unpaid internships and believe they should have been entitled to the minimum wage; and how many such complaints have been resolved in favour of the complainant in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jo Swinson: Before August 2011, the Government did not collect information on whether or not the complainant was an intern, volunteer or otherwise working for no pay or expenses only. Since then, this information has been recorded. Up to 31 August 2012, 61 complaints have been referred to HMRC that have been identified as potentially being of this nature.
	HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC's) case management system does not differentiate between the outcome for 'interns' cases' and other cases. We are, therefore, unable to say how many complaints were resolved in favour of the complainant.

Developing Countries: Business

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to support small and medium-sized enterprises in the developing world.

Lynne Featherstone: The Department for International Development (DFID) plans to help unblock commercial lending to over 200,000 small and medium enterprises in Africa and South Asia over the next seven years.
	DFID is working with companies worldwide to find new ways of incorporating small businesses into their international supply chains.
	DFID is also supporting legal and regulatory reform, infrastructure development, and establishment of property rights to reduce the cost of doing business in partner developing countries.

Developing Countries: Sanitation

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support her Department has given in each country for aid and development projects relating to water, sanitation and hygiene in the last 12 months; and how much was spent in each country on each such project.

Lynne Featherstone: Details of the Department for International Development (DFID) bilateral aid expenditure by sector is published in Statistics on International Development (SID) which is available online at
	www.dfid.gov.uk
	The next SID report will be available in October 2012.
	The consolidated figures for 2012/13 are not yet available, however, the latest details on each individual project are available on our website at
	http://projects.dfid.gov.uk/

Overseas Aid

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Aid Match scheme.

Alan Duncan: UK Aid Match was launched as a one-year pilot in June 2011. The scheme has been a successful mechanism for backing public choices on the use of aid, by matching their donations to charity appeals, pound for pound. To date 16 organisations have successfully applied to the scheme, with eight appeals completed, and eight currently in progress. The money raised will support a wide variety of development projects and programmes, all designed to deliver important, measurable improvements to the lives of some of the world's poorest people.

Bahrain

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on allegations of use of bird shot by Bahraini police and security forces in towns and villages in Bahrain.

Alistair Burt: I have seen non-governmental organisation and press reports about the alleged use of 'bird shot' by the Bahraini police. We have made it clear to the Bahraini Government that we expect them to adhere to international human rights standards at all times. We have also called on the police to exercise all possible restraint in their handling of public order situations.
	But, we have also seen an increase in violence directed at the security forces, including the use of Molotov cocktails and nail bombs. We have made it clear that we expect demonstrators to also respect the rule of law. Legitimate and peaceful demonstrations are a welcome part of any society, but violence on the streets is not.
	We expect all those who commit human rights violations to be prosecuted. I am pleased that the Bahraini Government has begun this process, but a lot more needs to be done.

Gambia

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the government of Gambia on the wellbeing of journalists and activists in The Gambia who are perceived to be opponents of the government;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the government of Gambia on the condition of Ebrima Manneh;
	(3)  if he will make representations to the government of Gambia on the detention of journalist Ebrima Manneh.

Mark Simmonds: Britain is deeply concerned about human rights in The Gambia, including the rights of journalists and, in particular, the absence of full and proper investigation into the disappearance of Ebrima Manneh in 2006.
	We have raised these general concerns, as well as more specific concerns about individuals, including Ebrima Manneh, at EU meetings which are held twice a year and co-chaired by our high commissioner in Banjul. The last one was held on 6 June 2012. We have also repeatedly raised the case of Ebrima Manneh—and fellow journalist Deyda Hydara who was killed in 2004—bilaterally with the Government of The Gambia.
	At EU talks in November last year, the Gambian Government agreed to invite the UN Secretary-General to commission an inquiry into the disappearance of Ebrima Manneh and the death of Deyda Hydara. The Government has since done so and the UN Secretary-General has referred both cases to the UN Office of the high commissioner for Human Rights. We continue to follow the inquiry and take an interest in developments.
	We are not aware of any journalists under detention or facing prosecution at present, but the high commissioner has raised concerns with the Gambian Government at the sudden closure of Taranga FM Radio Station in August. We remain in close contact with the station manager.

Hungary

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Hungarian Government on the case of Ramil Safarov.

David Lidington: The UK Government has not held any discussions with the Hungarian authorities on the case of Ramil Safarov. We are, however, following developments closely. We have supported EU and Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) statements on the Safarov case. Our main concern is to ensure that tensions between Armenia
	and Azerbaijan are not increased as a result of this incident, and to encourage both sides to exercise restraint to prevent any escalation of the situation.